Stuff the Bus delivers 1,930 backpacks for homeless kids

The annual Stuff the Bus campaign in Monterey County has resulted in donations of 1,930 backpacks for homeless children in grades K-12, organizers announced.

Volunteers delivered most of the backpacks to school districts Monday. Salinas City and Alisal Union school districts are the recipients of the bulk of the donations, said Fatima Dias, director of marketing and communication for United Way Monterey County. Salinas City received 380 backpacks, she said. Other districts throughout the Salinas Valley also receive donations.

Distribution of the backpacks in Salinas City begins Friday, according to Cheryl Camany, community liaison for the district. One in four children attending Salinas City schools is homeless, officials say.

Countywide, more than 5,144 children are homeless or can't afford school supplies, according to United Way.

Dias said donations are being accepted through September. A $25 donation supplies a fully stocked backpack.